VICTORIA, Seychelles — The Criminal Investigation Division of the Seychelles Police Force investigated 46 cases of trafficking in persons in 2023, of which four related to labour exploitation and two to sexual exploitation, a senior officer confirmed at a press conference held at the Ministry of Internal Affairs headquarters. The briefing was called by media houses following the release of the Trafficking in Persons Report 2023 by the Association for Rights, Information and Democracy (Arid). The remaining 40 cases were referred to the departments of Immigration and Employment because the police could not establish a trafficking element.
Sergeant Davis Simeon, who leads work in this area, said trafficking extends well beyond labour exploitation and can also include sexual and drug-related exploitation. He noted new trends in which children are exploited for financial gain. “It is an offence which generates a lot of money, so it is continuously increasing,” Sergeant Simeon said. He added that a significant number of cases are believed to remain unreported, particularly those involving sexual and child exploitation. To detect more cases, the police are increasing human resources for the unit and plan to make use of a Cybercrime unit that will be operational in the near future.
Linda William-Melanie, chairperson of the National Coordinating Committee on Action Against Trafficking in Persons, said there is a tendency to over-classify labour disputes as trafficking. The committee includes Arid itself, alongside the police, the Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs, and other agencies, and is responsible for designing the country’s policy and protection response. Investigations into the labour exploitation cases are ongoing, while the sexual exploitation matters are still before the courts, according to Corporal Betty-May Lesperance of the CID.
The Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs is often the first agency to receive complaints, according to its director general for labour relations, Steve Monnaie. The ministry recorded complaints from migrant workers in 2023 about contracts, delayed salary payments, and wages below the minimum. All complaints were investigated, and employers who failed to comply were prosecuted. The ministry secured thirteen convictions in 2023, six of which involved construction companies and six security companies. Some 210 grievances were recorded in 2023, of which 62 were resolved through mediation, 109 failed, 8 were withdrawn, and 6 were dismissed.
The Arid report, which prompted yesterday’s briefing, claims that there is “not much effort” to curb human trafficking, and that “the biggest percentage of alleged victims is trafficked for labour exploitation”. It also alleges that official statistics are inaccurate because of bribery. The report says most cases with a human trafficking element are treated as work violations and referred to the Employment department, with no investigation carried out. The National Coordinating Committee is responsible for creating policies, strategies, guidelines, programmes, and other measures to identify and help victims, and to provide services and protection to individuals believed to be victims of trafficking. Presumed victims are now accommodated at the Centre d’Accueil de La Rosière, which belongs to the Catholic Diocese, as an alternative to the more costly guest house option used previously.
